Braden's new article...

[Braden Campbell]

Just whipping up a little thing about Trade Federations and Mercantilus Unions: the guys who ship goods from one place to another in the Three Galaxies.

It will include the Naruni ships, and some Hartigal frigates, as well as a typical small freighter, a typical super freighter, and whatnot. It will not a be a long read, because, lets face it, economics boring. This is just really a set up to write about Space Pirates!!!

Anything else you guys might want to see?

(not saying I'll put it in there, but you were a help in the writing of Fleets.

[Marrowlight]

Just whipping up a little thing about Trade Federations and Mercantilus Unions: the guys who ship goods from one place to another in the Three Galaxies.

It will include the Naruni ships, and some Hartigal frigates, as well as a typical small freighter, a typical super freighter, and whatnot. It will not a be a long read, because, lets face it, economics boring. This is just really a set up to write about Space Pirates!!!

Anything else you guys might want to see?

(not saying I'll put it in there, but you were a help in the writing of Fleets.

I'd like to see Brave New Wormwood.

but Space Pirates do sound like a worthy pay off.

[Braden Campbell]

You must have patience, Marrowlight. Brave New Wormwood is going to be a big book... maybe 200 pages. these articles, on the other hand, get my foot in the door so I can have the plausible audacity to suggest a new Wormwood book.


:There's an example of my big-word writing, for you:

[Marrowlight]

You must have patience, Marrowlight. Brave New Wormwood is going to be a big book... maybe 200 pages. these articles, on the other hand, get my foot in the door so I can have the plausible audacity to suggest a new Wormwood book.


:There's an example of my big-word writing, for you:

I know, just giving you a hard time after seeing that other thread.

[Carl Gleba]

Geez man leave a little for the rest of us to write about! I figured with C.J. out of the way I could take over and rule Phase World Muhahaha!!

Seriously man, keep up the good work

Carl

[Braden Campbell]

This might be rightly considered the second chapter of a Three Galaxies book of undecided title. All told this hypothetical Palladium product would include:

1. Fleets of the Three Galaxies
2. Trade Federations and Mercantilus Unions
3. Space Pirates!
4. The Dominators
5. Notes on designing your own starships

[Braden Campbell]

Number 5 is proving to be a real toughy.

But here, ya cry baby...
___________________________________________
Membership has its Privileges

Independent Runners and Spacers can go anywhere, and live however they choose. But if they get their backs to the wall, they often have no one to come and help them. Thus the appeal of joining a Mercantilus Union; members pay a regular fee to ensure Union protection and working benefits. For example, this might be a kicked-back percentage of a sale of goods (5 – 10% is quite normal) in exchange for help defending against pirates. If a Spacer needs help in paying his medical bills for injuries incurred while working (those bionic arms aren’t cheap you know) he can often receive a claimed deduction through his Union. The Union can also provide a small loan to help a member repair or replace his or her space ship (interest rate is anywhere from 10 -20% per year). As an affiliate of a Mercantilus Union, a Spacer always has friends to call upon. He also has some tough compadres who will come and avenge him if he meets with a bad end. No one messes with the Union.

The Mercantilus Unions usually employ a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” hiring policy. When a Spacer or Runner makes enough of a name for himself, he will be approached by several Union recruiting officers who will try to entice him to join up. The perspective member is under no obligation to join. Once made, the offer is always open, unless that Spacer has become an overtly wanted criminal in the meantime. The Mercantilus Unions, while not afraid to move weapons, mercenaries, and other under-the-table items, are smart enough to filter out most of the psychos and murderers that will likely bring down CosmoKnights, Quatortia, and local law enforcement. They’re looking for experienced, tough men and women who can talk fast and who are handy with a blaster, not trouble magnets.

Being an employee in a Trade Federation is no different than working for a major corporation. The employee might not be a member of a “union” per se, but will be covered by the framework of whatever company he is working for. This usually includes benefits that Spacers only dream of: things like dental plans, paid vacations, cost reductions for prescription drugs, and maternity leaves. Again they pay into the program, but a much lower rate than the free traders of the Mercantilus Unions.

Corporate Security Guards will usually be as well trained as any military soldier (use the CAF Trooper OCC as a guide when creating corporate soldiers). They are provided with a standard uniform, MDC armor, and any weapons the company sees fit to give them. If they are wounded in combat, it is treated as a work-related accident, and the Conglom will give that person the very best in medical care. The corporation covers the costs for all such injuries – what do they care, they probably own the hospital and their insurance policies will reimburse them later anyway.

The Congloms are also wealthy enough to field different types of soldiers, whereas the Mercantilus Unions get whatever skills their hirelings bring to the company. Such military units will include Special Forces operatives, spies, field medics, and super-soldiers like cyborgs and powered armor pilots.

[KLM]

Well, try to include some economical aspects (see West End's Tramp Freighters - Galaxy Guide 6, if I remember corretly) about operating
mechant vessels, make is so that owning a small freighter is actually
a profitable business (for most). Same for pirating/ privateering.

Another point is to include basic protocolls about shipping.

What regulations are in CCW, UWW, TGE, Golgan, Phase World
etc. space for traders and aliens, what ship specifications are
allowed (defense, speed, stealth, weaponry, sensors, etc).

For example a military surplus Scimitar, without weaponry
is perfectly acceptable in CCW space, but the TGE will
severely restrict such vessel (not just because its origin,
but because of its capabilities).

For rules section, include rules for FTL interdiction (and
combat if possible at all).

That is for "on the fly" ideas.

Adios
KLM

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Braden,

I can't think of any suggestions to this article...all I can really say though, is that I like the idea.

Keep it up.



((Slow poke ))

((j/k))

~ Josh

[KLM]

Naruni Blue Dragon

....snip...

Crosscheck the ship with the existing designs, especially
with the "Runner" and the "Typical Merchant"... Hell, even
a surplus frigate is superior for the bucks.

Adios
KLM

[KLM]

Lesse... (Blue Dragon)

Runner: Half the cargo, but half the crew, for a measly 30 million.
More resilient.

Merchantman: Twice as big ship, with 2,5 times the crew,
but with 20 times more cargo. The price of 125 million credit
will allow compensating for the inferior speed. Weaponry
is already comparable.

Berserker: The ship is roughly the same size, yet about 1/15th
in weight as the Berserker (with its 250 million price).
Surplus Scimitar: 100-200 million credit.

Modifiing decomissioned frigates from the same budget,
with some robotics to decrease crew requirements plus
adding some weapons will result in a significantly superior
craft (i.e. armed cargo vessel).

Now, I do not mind, if the NE sells a craft with like 90%
of the performance of a TGE or CCW craft, for like 120-150%
price - and few questions are asked, none if you pay
in front.

---------------
As for the

just don't bother statting out ships that big, because after a while it just becomes ridiculous.

I like West Ends Star Wars D6 2nd ed. QED

Adios
KLM

[KLM]

I meant that the SW can handle everything from a holdout blaster,
thorught PA's up to and including the Death Star and the Executor
(the Super Star Destroyer seen in ep. V and VI.).

Plus SW gives good - adventure - ideas using capital ships.

Adios
KLM

[KLM]

well, Naruni doesn't have problems with budget that individuals have

Dunno, I imagine the NE as a MegaCorp from any cyberpunk game.
Efficient. Therefore they will not use something expensive, when
something cheaper does the job just as well.

money and PB is weird. (...)
it's an imperfect system, and you just have to deal with it.

Yeah. But it is just my own "random insanity" to make a
world/setting/etc. functional in itself... At least on the level
of our reality (a brief lesson on history will show how much
human stupidity and misinformation forms our past... And
maybe our present and future.).

So, if there is a pattern, I try to fit my stuff into it.
(Except when I kick it up, and estabilish a new pattern).

It is just an act of courtesy for my players, to GM a
somewhat reasonable setting.

Adios
KLM

[Braden Campbell]

The shipping of goods has to be cheap. Otherwise, thinguses made on Planet X are never going to be loaded on a rocket and blasted off to Planet Y. (Especially if its cheaper to just build a thingus on Planet Y).

So if there are lots of little ships moving goods, we have to assume that a) a CG drive is really cheap to buy, and b) a merchant ship is relatively cheap to operate.

Now if CG drives are cheap, then there are LOTS of ships running around the Three Galaxies... both merchants and raiders. So "merchant" ships are going to heavily armed to deal with swarming numbers of equally-as-armed pirate vessels.... again all leading back into the runaway gun culture of the setting.

So what am I saying? That big shipping corporations are going to shell out the money to build "shipping cruisers", and that smaller companies are going to travel in convoys of destroyers.

PC's are tooling around in the equivalent of a 1974 Ford Pinto with a trailer hitch (don't laugh, that was my first car!)

[KLM]

So if there are lots of little ships moving goods, we have to assume that a) a CG drive is really cheap to buy, and b) a merchant ship is relatively cheap to operate.

Now if CG drives are cheap, then there are LOTS of ships running around the Three Galaxies... both merchants and raiders. So "merchant" ships are going to heavily armed to deal with swarming numbers of equally-as-armed pirate vessels.... again all leading back into the runaway gun culture of the setting.

At least a ship is expected to last long, and is expected to make its
price during one reactor refill (ie. approximately in 10 years).

On the other hand, I do not automatically sig the "armed merchant"
idea.
Of course, there are places, where this is the case.

But also, there are areas, which are constantly monitored by
security forces, which can intercept any pirate vessel, so civilians
are forbidden to use weaponry (well, at least anything bigger than
point defense) - the more settled areas of the TGE are supposedly
have rules like this. Probably the Golgan Republik too.

It needs to be elaborated, which in itself should fill a good sized article.

Adios
KLM